Mar 17, 2014

The fifth interview of our 5 Questions Series is with Danielle Hanna. Danielle is a practitioner of Ayurvedic Medicine and a Yoga teacher. We are so happy to get her perspective In this series we are posing a set of 5 Questions to healers and makers that we love and admire. They are two different sets of questions accordingly, but both have in common an exploration of plants, intention and creative/healing practice. Do comment below to participate in the conversation and please share this interview!

1. What motivates you to work within the health field?

It’s
easy to feel helpless when it comes to our health. Western modalities can
sometimes feel expensive, invasive, complicated and unable to fully serve us in
healing. Working with the body, mind, senses and spirit through an Ayurvedic
lens can be very effective, empowering and reasonably priced. It can be
practiced complimentary or alone, but most preferably in prevention. One of my teachers recently said, “Many
diseases are preventable but not necessarily curable”. Through the healing
practices of Ayurveda and Yoga we can maintain a more balanced, healthy life
that can have a positive impact on our overall health. For me, this is
inspiring, hopeful and helpful.

2. Is there a certain piece of advice you find yourself giving to your clients often? If so, what is it?

YES!
Practice Savasana J (see below for the “recipe”)

3. Favorite books within your healing modality?

My
current favorite books are “The Hatha Yoga Pradipika” originally composed by
Swami Swatmarama-there are many translations available, “The Bhagavad Gita”
translated by Swami B.V. Tripurari, “The Deeper Dimensions of Yoga” by Georg
Feuerstein, “Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing” by Usha Lad & Dr. Vasant
Lad, “The Yoga of Herbs” by Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad and “Yoga for
your Type” by Dr. David Frawley..There are so many great resources, but I’ll
stop there!

4. Are plants part of your practice, and if so, which do you find yourself using the most and for what reason?

I use a
lot of kitchen herbs and spices as daily medicine. My go to’s are: Turmeric,
Cinnamon, Cardamom, Coriander, Ginger, Cumin, Coriander, Hing, Rose, Nutmeg,
different varieties of salts and peppers, and Garlic. Using these kitchen herbs
in cooking can really help the body stay in balance, enkindle our digestive
fire (agni) which helps digest and absorb food and keeps us away from common
illness that can lead us down the slippery slope of disease.

I also use
a lot of oil. Oil can be very effective, as we tend to be a fairly dry
culture. I use sesame, coconut, peanut,
olive and oils infused with herbs, both internally and externally. Daily self
massage (abhyanga) with warm oil can change your life! Try it!

5. Can you offer our community a recipe (this is open to interpretation)?

Here are
2 recipes:

1.“Golden
Rice”

*White
basmati rice, 1 cup

*About 1
teaspoon Turmeric, dry

*About 2
cups water

*1 small
piece of 24k gold

*Cilantro,
chopped, about a handful

There’s not
a lot to this recipe. Rinse the rice well and if you have time you can soak it
for 10-15 minutes. Heat the water, rice and Turmeric in a pot. We drop in a
small piece of 24k gold here too! Heat on medium heat until it boils, then turn
it to low. When the water has evaporated, it’s ready to be served. Take care to
remove the gold piece. Sprinkle fresh cilantro on top.

Gold is
very therapeutic. It protects the body, strengthens the heart, boosts mental
energy, as well as improves memory and increases stamina. Gold has a heating property so take care if
you have a lot of fire quality. Adding cilantro can help to cool.

Thank you
to Dr. Lad for this recipe, it’s a favorite!

2. Savasana
or Corpse posture

Lay
comfortably on the back with legs stretched long and apart. Make sure to keep
the body warm. Inhale deeply. Exhale and allow the whole body to let go and
completely relax. Release all tension held in each part of the body. Release
the mind by focusing on the movement of the breath. Completely relax. Practice
daily from 5-30 minutes, depending on your level of stress. Practice longer
during more stressful times.

Savasana is
one of the most important Asanas (yoga posture) we can practice. By lying still for some time, keeping the
mind still while you are fully conscious, we learn to relax. The conscious
relaxation invigorates and refreshes both the body and mind.

Thank you
Dr. David Frawley and Mr. Iyengar for your eloquent wording and suggestions for
Savasana.

Danielle is
currently an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counselor, working toward a Masters of Arts in
Ayurveda from the Mount Madonna Institute College of Ayurveda in California.
She is also a 200hour Registered Yoga Teacher. She teaches Yoga practices at
the Bhaktishop and Harmony Yoga in Portland, OR

Mar 16, 2014

A big thank you to Gardenista for featuring us this week on their lovely site! Go find out a little more about our CSH Shares and our individual remedies! And a big thank you to Jess for the write up. We love our work and it's always nice to have the support.

Mar 10, 2014

We are so excited to be putting the finishing touches of magic into our Spring CSH Shares (Community Supported Herbalism). We're surrounded by the perfect allies of Spring: nettles, horsetail, red clover, oat tops, lemon balm, hawthorne flowers, wild rose petals and so many more. The studio feels bountiful and full of the promise of the upcoming season. All of a sudden Portland is exploding in blooms. The plums are dotting the grey skies with pinks and pale white splashes and the earliest blooming Cherry trees are not to be outdone! It is our intention to help your transition into Spring by offering support to your Liver, your lymphatic system, to help alkalinize your body and to encourage your transition from winter dreams to spring time fruition. You should really take a peek at all we are offering in this bundle of seasonal wellness! If you have any questions about our CSH Shares, please do be in touch!